The head of the Polish bishops’ conference has lumped New Zealand in with the German bishops in terms of contributions at last year’s synod on the family. Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki discussed the synod in a recent interview with EWTN Germany. The archbishop was asked about if there had been a “German-Polish” war at the synod. Read more
Since the 2014 Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops a growing theological divide has become apparent. This divide, evident among a small minority of cardinals and bishops present (and not present) at the Extraordinary Assembly, has been recognized through their views on how to “pastorally” apply Catholic teaching regarding marriage, family and sexual Read more
The Church’s doctrinal chief says the synod on the family faces a challenge in helping people in difficult situations while staying true to Jesus’ teaching. In a recent interview, Cardinal Gerhard Muller said the synod in October will need to deal with “the challenge of finding pastoral solutions to ensure a stronger integration of people Read more
The bishops’ conference of England and Wales plans to launch a wide-ranging consultation of parishes and clergy ahead of next year’s synod on the family. The bishops would like a period of spiritual reflection in each parish. They would also like to hear the experiences of clergy on the main “pastoral challenges” they encounter with Read more
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has decried critics who have charged that the recent synod on the family caused confusion for Catholics. Archbishop Martin said he was “quite surprised at the remarks of some commentators within church circles about the recent synod of bishops, often making accusations of confusion where such confusion did not exist Read more
The Archbishop of Paris has urged parishes in his diocese to form “synodal teams” to continue discussions launched by Pope Francis at the family synod. Cardinal André Vingt-Trois wants these groups to report back to him by Pentecost. He explained that the teams should have six to 12 members, chosen by priests with their parish Read more
A Filipino cardinal says media coverage of last month’s synod on the family was dominated by the concerns of the West. Speaking to Filipino media, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said synod media coverage was correct, but focussed on same-sex unions and divorced people. Yet the synod fathers also discussed families separated by economic migration, the Read more
Australian Cardinal George Pell has laid out what he sees as the tasks for Catholics leading up to the 2015 synod on the family. They are explaining “the necessity of conversion, the nature of the Mass”, and “the purity of heart the Scriptures require of us to receive Holy Communion”. The cardinal wrote this in Read more
The new Archbishop of Sydney says that the biggest challenge facing the family today is that modernity has forgotten how to love. In an opinion piece on abc.net, Archbishop-elect Anthony Fisher wrote that “modernity struggles with any kind of love that goes beyond feelings”. “People today are less and less willing to commit, for the Read more
An American archbishop has suggested Catholic priests protest against same-sex marriage laws by refusing to sign any civil marriage certificates. Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia urged the US bishops to consider this in response to what he called the “new marriage regime” of same-sex civil marriage. In a lecture in New York on October 20, Archbishop Read more